Cambodia breaks promise on border issues: Thai foreign ministry
The ministry's statement on Sunday followed a reported attempt by Cambodia to bring disputed areas to the United Nations after its approach to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs said a memorandum of understanding that both countries signed in 2000 clearly stipulates that both sides must discuss border issues through their Joint Boundary Commission (JBC).
The MoU does not let them use any other mechanisms – including the ICJ – and Thailand has always followed the MOU strictly as compliance was in accordance with the principles of international laws and treaties, the ministry said.
'Therefore, it is not Thailand that is in violation of the obligations made to one another under international law by using mechanisms outside of what was previously agreed upon,' the ministry said.
Thailand had successfully used the JBC and equivalents to resolve border issues with other neighbouring countries, the ministry said. Its land border negotiations with Laos and Malaysia were 90% completed through their JBC.
'Such mechanisms can be used effectively to produce results if there is a true intention and sincerity in implementing them, without having to rely on external mechanisms such as the ICJ," the Thai ministry said. "In addition to Thailand, this bilateral negotiation method is the same method that, in fact, other neighboring countries of Cambodia use to resolve border issues with Cambodia.'
Therefore, the Thai government called on Cambodia to use the JBC to resolve all border issues including those concerning four contested areas that Cambodia refused to discuss in the JBC meeting, the ministry said.
Cambodia's refusal to discuss the four areas in the JBC 'is considered a violation of the agreement under the MOU of 2000, which clearly states that all border surveys and demarcations must be carried out jointly under the JBC mechanism, without referring the border issue to other mechanisms that have not been agreed upon,' the ministry said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also said that Thailand had waited and called for Cambodia's turn to host a JBC meeting for 12 years before the meeting happened on June 14 and 15.
'Thailand would like to categorically deny the false accusation that Thailand caused the JBC process to stall. In fact, Thailand has never withdrawn from the process and has always called for it to convene and proceed," the Thai foreign ministry said.
"Therefore, Thailand would like to urge Cambodia to respect the mutual obligation to negotiate peacefully before resorting to other mechanisms beyond the agreed-upon methods in order to resolve the Thai-Cambodian border issue sustainably and to prevent such tensions from recurring in the future and impacting relations between the countries and the people on both sides, especially the people living along the border areas on both sides,'
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